The Booming Growth of Corporate Travel in Ethiopia

Being the headquarter of the United Nations and the African Union as well as international organizations, the corporate travel industry in Ethiopia is expanding rapidly bringing economic boom.

Aside from the economic thrive, Ethiopia has been experiencing a staggering growth in tourist arrivals over the past five years. Yet, it continues to host a growing number of tourist since 2010, with the progress attributed to participation in international travel and tourism exhibitions around the world; attracting new travelers who are enticed by the nation’s cultural and historical attractions, as well as untapped investment potential. This has allowed the country to attract more international leisure and business travelers and also generated more tourism revenue.

The developing new investments are making Ethiopia a promising emerging market with consecutive double digit growth. These has created a growing interest towards Ethiopia’s exotic destinations, as many corporate travelers are becoming tourists. The country has been successful in turning business travelers to tourists, promoting the country during international organizations’ meetings and exhibitions.

On the other hand, the government has established new initiatives and policies on measures to preserve tourist sites and to develop infrastructure to take advantage of the lucrative industry. Tourist facilities in various national parks have been renovated, while asphalt road constructions linked the parks with major roads and lodges easing movement of travelers. Improvement of transportation facilities has also become a key development, becoming the number one choice of travelers. Ethiopian Airlines directly works in promoting destinations along with introducing new flight routes even to remote and previously inaccessible locations. In a bid to modernize and expand airport facilities to meet international standards, Africa’s most profitable airline, Ethiopian Airline, has been heavily investing in improving infrastructure and buying latest technology aircrafts. Its self-service check-in kiosks technology has simplified the check-in process for passengers retaining its top status among guests.

The investment of international online companies such as Jovago has bolstered the country’s position promoting the country globally and creating limitless networks in other competitive markets. Partnering with such travel service providers that have the mix of technology, has creatively increased the number of travelers who opt for simplified tech based services. The focus to Information Technology is also transforming the landscape of business operations as well as reaching to new potential tourists who might have travel and investment interest on the country. Quickly jumping from being one of the poorest countries to one of the fastest growing economies, its tourism industry is growing by leaps, being the vital factor for economic development.

Its globally praised growth over the last decade made the country one of Africa’s top performing economies with promising growth over the coming years. Such progress is paving the way to overcoming underdevelopment economic barriers to development and structural transformation, helping the country reach its goal of becoming a prosperous nation; bringing tourism on board as a strong economic wing.